My Name: Matthew Sanborn Smith. My challenge: Write 1000 stories by the time I'm 50 years old. Current story count: 160. Current age: 48. (Yes, I know it will never happen. I push on regardless.)
The One-Thousand is made up of stories that are aimed at publication in professional venues.
I've been published at Tor.com, Nature, and Chizine, among others. Listen to me on the occasional StarShipSofa and every single Beware the Hairy Mango. Shoot me an e-mail at upwithgravity@gmail.com

Thursday, September 25, 2008

I'm slow. I'll be the first to admit it. Only minutes ago did I realize that there's no real reason that this bailout has to happen. Only minutes ago did I realize that the entire thing, from at least last Wednesday, has been designed and sold to us by the Bushies. I'm sure many of you will just think that I'm being paranoid. I can't prove otherwise. Just days ago when I learned of section 8 of the White House's plan, wherein the Secretary of the Treasury (Paulson), is given unfettered control over the distribution of the 700 billion dollars, I thought the White House was merely taking advantage of the situation.

Now I recall that Ben Bernanke has been in lockstep with Paulson while speaking to Congress over the last two days and this entire concept of the big bailout has come from no one else but them. The Bushies sold us the Iraq war through fear and they are selling this bailout the same way. They say that we need to act on this by Friday, after that it will be too late. We're taking their word that can see the economic future past Friday. We're taking the word of the people who got us into this situation and got us into our world situation over the last eight years. Suddenly we accept that they know what they're talking about. The faster we have to act on this, the less time we'll have to think on it and the less time the Stock Market will have to naturally right itself. This is actually the last great looting of America by the Bush administration.

They say that if Wall Street goes down, the country will go with it. Have they mentioned what will happen when America has to pay the bill for the ungodly spending spree the "conservatives" have taken us on in the past eight years? Wouldn't we be better served if that $700 billion was paid directly on the mortgages of citizens who are struggling to keep their homes? Might that not stabilize housing prices and end the current crisis? What's the difference in damage to the country when it's destroyed financially from the bottom up rather than the top down? The difference is, the top down fix helps big business and government has always been in bed with big business.

I submit to you that the bailout is completely unnecessary. Unfortunately, even if anyone agreed with me, it wouldn't matter. The majority of people are not questioning its necessity, they are only questioning how it should be done. The White House has gotten one over on us once more. Maybe we deserve it. We are the rubes who have been taken in by the scams of the conman again and again and even when we know he's ripped us off in the past, we're reaching from our wallets one last time without hesitation.

Longtime readers of this blog may know that I have been struggling with a story for years now called Process Five (at least that's the working title. I have had enough pussyfooting (And I love those open-toed shoes you're wearing - George Carlin) around. I am, here and now, openly declaring war on that goddamned story. Over the next two weeks I will turn that son of a bitch into a real story and send it out into the world. You heard me. The gauntlet is there for all to see.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Wow. I added four stories to The One-Thousand in July and none in the last month and a half! That's bad. But I just sent out number 75 about forty-five minutes ago (At a 24 hour self-serve part of the post office). 75 is called Maisy's Many Souls. I don't even know if it's a good story, but I do know that I achieved something that I haven't achieved before. I've small steps improving conflict and characterization. I think that it's a story that a reader would want to keep reading because there's enough going on there. We'll see what happens.

Actually I've got a little poem all done and ready to go, but I can't give it a number until it goes out. I want to send it to a particular magazine but that mag currently has one of my stories, so I have to wait until they make a decision on that before I can send the poem to them. So there you go.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Nagi Noda, the brilliant Japanese artist and director has died, apparently due to complications from surgery after a car accident last year. I don't know her exact date of birth but she was born in 1973, which put her at 34 or 35 years old. Below are some of the videos that she directed. Please enjoy them and save a little piece of your heart and mind for her to occupy. You can find more great stuff at her website:

I tossed around the idea of getting a nano last week, an idea which is no small thing for me. In the forefront of my mind is the thought that I could spend the money on something more important. Like food. Or gasoline. Last week I couldn't do it. Yesterday, Apple sweetened the pot, releasing the newy ipods.

For a buck-fifty I get 8 gigs with some new features and that money would have gotten me 4 gigs last week. What is a weak-minded consumerist to do? I went for it. I got the red guy or should I say (red) guy. When you buy (red), Apple throws a little money at AIDS meds for Africans who need it. That sold red to me. I also liked blue and orange (yes, they have orange now. And yellow.)

I have to say I currently have a shuffle and I use it more than I use any device save my MacBook. I use it a lot. Mostly to listen to science fiction podcasts and stories. What got me on the nano train was that I wanted distinct playlists on the ipod so I could easily switch from science fiction to music and so that when I hit the wrong button and go back to the beginning of an hour and a half long podcast when I actually wanted to raise the volume, I can much more quickly get back to the point of the podcast to which I was listening. So these were real needs which I wanted met for a device that I use a whole bunch.

And for some reason I felt the need to justify that to you.

Engraving was free. I don't know if you can honestly call it engraving, but it is writing. I'm having the words, The One-Thousand, written on the back of mine to remind me of my goal.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

St. Paul cops, backed by the Feds, have been cracking skulls for days now outside the RNC, arresting protesters before they protest and reporters while they're reporting. This is getting no network coverage, but Salon.com's Glen Greenwald has been all over it. Please spread this link so this story gets the attention it deserves.